Civilians in Mosul's Right Coast Faced with Starvation or Execution

REUTERS/Khalid al Mousily

Sources from the old city of Mosul told IOHR: "On Friday, 1 April 2017, ISIS executed 22 families from Al Makkawi area after 22 young men tried to escape the ISIS-controller area with the help of a Syrian smuggler."

4 - 4 - 2017

The Iraqi Observatory for Human Rights (IOHR) states that civilian in the Right Coast of Mosul face severe humanitarian conditions. Civilians who try to escape put themselves at risk of execution by ISIS forces, whereas others are faced with starvation

Sources from the old city of Mosul told IOHR: "On Friday, 1 April 2017, ISIS executed 22 families from Al Makkawi area after 22 young men tried to escape the ISIS-controller area with the help of a Syrian smuggler."

In phone conversations with the IOHR on 2 April 2017, local residents of the old "Mosul" area confirmed the execution, speaking of "a massacre where ISIS executed the family of Syrian smuggler, Labib Al-Dakkak, a food dealer in the old city of Mosul. Al Dakkak had agreed two months ago to smuggle 22 young men outside of the city."

"The agreement then was at a standstill due to the beginning of the battles near the Old city, when ISIS members foiled the escape plan and executed all those who were allegedly involved along with their families on Friday evening.

Witnesses from Mosul's Old city said the execution took place inside the basins in the Al'aafia' bath in Al Makkawi area. The 106 bodies remained for about 14 hours before civilian cars belonging to their families carried them away and buried them in 'Al Sada Al Fakhreyeen' graveyard.

IOHR stated: "ISIS will continue to execute as many civilians as possible. Almost 400,000 civilians still live under ISIS control and are at risk of death by the terrorist group. The execution of civilians in Mosul constitutes war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Wathiq Al-Hamdani, Police Chief of Nineveh province said in a phone conversations with IOHR: "On Sunday, April 2, Al Qayara hospital handed over 22 bodies, including women and children, who were evacuated by Iraqi Forces. Most of them appeared to have sustained severe impact, as they were killed by ISIS booby traps and improvised explosive devices, gunfire or mortar shells as they were trying to escape from areas under ISIS control in Bab Al-Toub, Raas Al-Jadah and Bab Al-Baid areas in the center of Mosul.”

Internally displaced people from Al Orouba and Al-Tannak areas said during an interview with IOHR near Hammam al-'Alil refugee camp that dozens of their friends and relatives have died because of hunger in Zanjili, Refa'ee and Al Tanak districts.

A displaced man from Al Orouba" area said: "My two nieces who were three and four years old, died of famine last month in Refa'ee area, and we received news that their mother is facing dire health conditions due to the lack of food in the area.”

Medial sources in Al Qayara Hospital have stated: “We receive hundreds of cases of malnutrition from those who were previously living under ISIS control. Children in particular, often come in with dehydration as well.”

IOHR states: “ISIS uses starvation as a weapon to force civilians to fight with the organisation. Where some families have even volunteered one of their children to fight alongside ISIS in a bargain to receive the food allowances that are allotted for fighters and their families.”

IOHR calls upon the Iraqi Government and International Organization to open up air corridors to allow humanitarian airdrops of food and baby milk for the residents in the Right Coast of Mosul.

IOHR stresses that a humanitarian solution to the crisis in Mosul’s Right Coast must be found immediately, in coordination with the Nineveh local Government, the Federal Government in Baghdad, and UN missions, in order to alleviate the suffering of residents and children in particular.